Carolina Hurricanes – A
First Round Pick: Andrei Svechnikov (RW) (2)
Much like the Sabres, the Hurricanes could not screw up this pick. Andrei Svechnikov was by far the best forward in the draft. The Hurricanes are in a state of mediocrity and have been for many years. The one thing they’ve lacked is a high-end goal scorer. Management thought they had their guy in Jeff Skinner, but he’s leveled out over the years and could be on his way out of town. They are set on the backend with studs like Justin Faulk, Dougie Hamilton and Jaccob Slavin. They need a guy who can fill the net from the wing. Svechnikov will jump immediately into the lineup and probably play a top six role.
Other Notable Picks: Jack Drury (C) (42)
Anytime you have a chance to select Chris Drury’s nephew, you have to do it. Drury was a big riser in the Central Scouting rankings, going from 60th at the midterm to 27th in the final rankings. I don’t know if Drury will be as good as his uncle or his father, but I’m excited to see him try. I’ll always Stan for the Drury family and am excited about Jack’s future in the NHL.
Trade: Acquired Dougie Hamilton, Micheal Ferland, and Adam Fox from Calgary for Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin
A killer deal by Carolina. I’m very high on Noah Hanifin and think he’s going to be a high-end No. 2 defenseman for years to come, but this is a trade you make 10/10 times. Dougie Hamilton is already better than Hanifin and still has room to grow, Ferland is a better goalscorer than Lindholm and Fox might end up being the best player in the deal when it’s all said and done.